Arla Foods Ltd
LCO Specialist (Process Engineer) - Stourton
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About the Role
Stourton Dairy, LS10
Mon-Fri, 37.5 hours
We are currently recruiting for a Continuous Improvement and Manufacturing Excellence Specialist to work within our creamery department at our Stourton Dairy, our most complex milk site in the UK. This role combines data analytics, digital innovation, and stakeholder collaboration to drive operational performance, quality, and sustainable growth.
How will you make an impact?
- Reporting into the LCO Core Team Leader, you will be responsible for delivering CI projects, optimizing OEE, driving data-led decisions, and championing AI and digital solutions.
- Identify, develop, and deliver step-change improvements across safety, quality, cost, reliability, service, automation, and digitalization, driving sustainable business results.
- Analyze production processes, remove bottlenecks, and improve capacity utilization, OEE, output, energy efficiency, and overall line performance.
- Leverage process and machine data, dashboards, and performance visualization tools to identify opportunities, solve complex problems, and support operational excellence.
- Lead the transition from manual to automated data capture, support predictive maintenance and AI-enabled manufacturing initiatives, and enhance real-time operational insights.
- Lead packaging innovation, reduce defects and waste, improve process capability, and support environmentally sustainable manufacturing through data-driven solutions.
What will you need to succeed?
- You will hold a Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Food, Industrial, or a related discipline) and bring at least three years' experience in a Continuous Improvement, Process Engineering, or Manufacturing Excellence role.
- You'll have a passion for learning, a proactive can-do attitude, and proven success in delivering process optimization, line performance improvements, and structured problem-solving using Lean, Six Sigma, or similar CI methodologies.
- Experience within food manufacturing or FMCG environments is highly desirable; Green Belt Certification is a plus.
- You'll enjoy working closely with production teams on the shop floor and analyzing complex manufacturing systems, including production flow, bottlenecks, staffing, logistics, and inventory models.
- You'll have experience leveraging digital technologies and data to drive improvements, with exposure to tools such as MES systems, Power BI, Python, automated systems, or emerging manufacturing technologies.
- Strong communication, stakeholder management, and cross-functional collaboration skills are essential, along with a solid understanding of quality, food safety, and compliance standards.
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What can we offer?
- We’re committed to supporting your growth and development, offering internal and external training opportunities.
- You’ll enjoy a competitive salary, 26 days of holiday plus bank holidays, matched pension contributions up to 6%, life assurance, and flexible benefits.
Next steps
- The closing date for applications is 24th July 2026.
- For additional information, please reach out to Rachel McDaid, Senior Talent Partner at
ramci@arlafoods.com.
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Things We’d Love To Tell You About Our Stourton Site
- Our Stourton site takes in 2.2 million litres of milk daily.
- It produces around 660 million litres of the nation’s favourites per year from 16 automated filling lines.
- From Stourton, we produce over 225 SKUs within 10 different product groups, such as Cravendale & BOB filtered milk, creams, alcohol cream, and cottage cheese.
- The site has received approximately £315 million in investment since 2004.
Please note we are not partnered with any recruitment agencies for this role. We kindly ask that recruitment agencies do not submit CVs on behalf of candidates for this role, as these CVs will not be considered under the agency ownership, and if Arla does progress with any such candidate, this will not amount to acceptance of the agency's terms. We encourage interested individuals to apply directly through our official channels.
Shape the Future of Dairy
Arla is a global leader in the dairy industry, committed to enabling good food choices that make life better, providing people with natural, sustainable nourishment, while taking care at every step to ensure Arla is a choice they can feel good about. If you are looking to shape the future with an ambitious global cooperative that truly cares about your growth, where everyone feels valued and empowered, and collaboration is the core of culture, Arla is a choice you can feel good about.
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